The present invention relates to sports training devices and, more particularly, to a device for exercising, strengthening and developing the lower leg muscles.
Heretofore, a fairly wide variety of specialized exercising equipment have been proposed for exercising particular muscle groups used in a particular sport. Such equipment, for example, has been developed for sports such as golf, baseball and football. Development of specific muscles or muscle groups is particularly helpful in increasing proficiency and avoiding injury.
Skiing, in particular, is a sport which requires development of specific muscle groups to increase proficiency and prevent injury. Downhill and cross-country skiing are sports which continue to grow in popularity. Downhill or Alpine skiers are exposed to and suffer sprains and breaks of the ankle, breaks of the lower leg bones, that is the fibula and tibia, and torn ligaments or cartilage at the knee and ankle joints. These types of injuries typically occur when the mechanical safety bindings holding the boot to the ski fail to operate properly. These bindings typically include a lateral or side-to-side toe release and vertical heel release. The settings are variable to accommodate the weight of the skier as well as the proficiency level of the skier. The bindings may be improperly adjusted or may operate improperly due to dirt and/or ice which can collect thereon and increase the load on the leg prior to release.
It is, therefore, important for the skier to develop strong muscles of the lower leg to reduce the chance of and occurrence of injury. Further, the muscles of the lower leg are primarily used to initiate turns for both the recreational and competition skier. A competition skier, especially when competing in the slalom, may execute frequent step turns which require rotation of the ski about a vertical axis. The lower leg muscles are primarily used to accomplish such rotation. The muscles used to accomplish these turns are the same which are used to resist the forces involved in a lateral ski boot/binding release.
Heretofore, exercising equipment has not been developed to strengthen the lower leg muscles and, therefore, to assist in preventing injury to skiers and to increase proficiency. Presently available exercising devices are primarily directed for use by invalids or for physical therapy. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,645,482, entitled FOOT ACTUATED EXERCISING DEVICE, and issued on July 14, 1953 to Magida, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,071, entitled FOOT ACTUATED EXERCISING DEVICE and issued on Feb. 20, 1962 to Malone, et al. These devices are not capable of subjecting the lower leg muscles to the stresses or the loads necessary to properly develop them and strengthen them for skiing.
A need, therefore, exists for an exercising apparatus capable of developing and strengthening the lower leg muscles by subjecting them to the same stresses and loads encountered while skiing. Such a device would greatly assist in the prevention of injury to skiers as well as increase their proficiency by increasing quickness and ski control.